Troll Lord Games

I picked up the monsters & treasure book after getting the revised PH. All great stuff. A few questions here...

1) just curious... how did TLG decide what standrda AD&D creatures to keep and leave out? I noticed the umber hulk isn't there, which sort of surprised me.

2) It says that wizards can scribe scrolls once reaching 7th level. What's the difference between that and just writing a spell in your spellbook? Also, I'm curious as to why C&C wizards can only do this at 7th level but 3.5 wizards can do it at 1st level. Is it considered a powerful ability in C&C but not in 3.5?

3)Are all clerics considered to worship similar types of deities? I ask this because they all use the same spells (no domain spells, etc.).

4) Is there a document that describes the attribute scores of various creatures? One of the (few) things I prefer about 3.5 is that you can see what a creature's STR value is, etc. It's helpful to me anyways.

5) On a similar note, is there a "ceiling" for attributes in C&C? In other words, in 1e and 2e AD&D the maximum attribute score for anything was 25.

1) just curious... how did TLG decide what standrda AD&D creatures to keep and leave out? I noticed the umber hulk isn't there, which sort of surprised me.

Don't know, probably because it is outright owned by WOTC.

2) It says that wizards can scribe scrolls once reaching 7th level. What's the difference between that and just writing a spell in your spellbook? Also, I'm curious as to why C&C wizards can only do this at 7th level but 3.5 wizards can do it at 1st level. Is it considered a powerful ability in C&C but not in 3.5?

The difference? To make a scroll is a magic item making process. When you make the scroll the components are physically subsumed into the scroll. The ability to make scrolls is powerful, especially if they have the money and time. I still house ruled that they could make scrolls at level 1.

The rest I kept as C&C says.

3)Are all clerics considered to worship similar types of deities? I ask this because they all use the same spells (no domain spells, etc.).

Domain powers and spells are a 3E creation. If you like them and want to use them it is easy to do.

4) Is there a document that describes the attribute scores of various creatures? One of the (few) things I prefer about 3.5 is that you can see what a creature's STR value is, etc. It's helpful to me anyways.

All creatures are assumed to have average stats (10-12), if you want exceptional just give it to them.

5) On a similar note, is there a "ceiling" for attributes in C&C? In other words, in 1e and 2e AD&D the maximum attribute score for anything was 25.

No official ceiling. Its however you want.

vivsavage wrote:
1) just curious... how did TLG decide what standrda AD&D creatures to keep and leave out? I noticed the umber hulk isn't there, which sort of surprised me.

WotC doesn't include the beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanarri, baatezu, displacer beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, or yuan-ti in the SRD, and publishers using the OGL are forbidden from using those terms/creatures (unless they work out a separate deal with WotC).

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Also, I'm curious as to why C&C wizards can only [scribe scrolls] at 7th level but 3.5 wizards can do it at 1st level. Is it considered a powerful ability in C&C but not in 3.5?

Yes. Magic items in 3E are more of a commodity item, IMO (especially potions and scrolls, but even wands, too -- what mid-level 3E party doesn't have a wand of bulls strength, for example). C&C uses an approach that is more like classic D&D or AD&D, where the creation of magic items is a pretty big deal.

To point 1... DAMN WOTC! But yeah, as mentioned, if it's not in the SRD, those creatures are lost to us... until we rename them and make enough changes to them. Luckily it's no hard matter to used the Umber Hulk and convert him (or any other creature) for use in C&C

Skipping point two... nothing more the add there.

To point 3... Another option is to go the priest vs cleric route that was introduced sometime during AD&D 2nd ed. The priests would get specific spells from various spheres as well as have different weapon and armor requirements. Clerics would still be clerics though... Priests would then be more reminiscent to clerics in 3.x

To point 4... I suppose there's nothing stopping you from just using the stats as is (from 3.x) -- just keep in mind that the attribute bonuses are a bit lower in C&C. They follow a clear enough pattern from 16 on in C&C.

To point 5... no ceiling but then, there isn't any reason why you shouldn't have one either -- I myself may adopt the '25' standard.

Moriarty the Red
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1) just curious... how did TLG decide what standrda AD&D creatures to keep and leave out? I noticed the umber hulk isn't there, which sort of surprised me.

I sent them a list of "archetype" monsters (I was asked for the 100 I felt were "most important") in addition to the manuscript which I hoped would be used to create M&T. Others at the TLG HQ made additions, modifications, their own lisrts, and whatnot, until Steve and Davis were satisfied with what would go in. Group effort, really.

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2) It says that wizards can scribe scrolls once reaching 7th level. What's the difference between that and just writing a spell in your spellbook? Also, I'm curious as to why C&C wizards can only do this at 7th level but 3.5 wizards can do it at 1st level. Is it considered a powerful ability in C&C but not in 3.5?

Scribing a spell is innately given to the wizard class, for without it, they would be rather useless. However, a spell is not an "item" nor is it a "spell waiting to be released." It is, in fact, nothing more than a transcription that holds no power of its own. Scrolls, on the other hand, are the inverse and direct opposite. One can argue that it is BS that a caster must wait 7 levels to scribe a simple zero-level spell, and I could see that, but would argue against it. D&D3.5 does not consider any item creation a powerful ability, save that of Epic items, and even then, the only thing one cannot create are true artifacts (in fact, one can create items more powerful than such things...)

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3)Are all clerics considered to worship similar types of deities? I ask this because they all use the same spells (no domain spells, etc.).

No, they worship whatever pantheon is available to them, with specific deities having different favored weapons. However, as a whole, all clerics have access to the same "pool" of spells, as the gods all have the same abilities to grant the spells. It does not mean they will, though, as a Deity of The Watch is unlikely to grant a cleric Slay Living, but would more than ready make a detection spell ready. This puts the burden on the player and the CK, to roleplay the spell lists, and actually have some sort of interaction... like, "I pray for these spells. Do they fit with what my god(s) perceive as beneficial to their cause?"

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4) Is there a document that describes the attribute scores of various creatures? One of the (few) things I prefer about 3.5 is that you can see what a creature's STR value is, etc. It's helpful to me anyways.

None that I've seen, and I have no plans of creating one either. The CKG is supposed to contain guidelines for determining such things, but even these will be entirely arbitrary.

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5) On a similar note, is there a "ceiling" for attributes in C&C? In other words, in 1e and 2e AD&D the maximum attribute score for anything was 25.

None listed, but I would suggest capping stats to 26. Why 26? Well, that's the "even" part of 25, and just makes the table a little easier, though 25 would be good, too. Anything over this is simply too high. In C&C, every +1 is important, so having a +8 is hugely impactful over simply having a +3.